diff --git a/ledger-tool/src/main.rs b/ledger-tool/src/main.rs
index 6a4d0082ed1fa1..87a7b4dc0d04a9 100644
--- a/ledger-tool/src/main.rs
+++ b/ledger-tool/src/main.rs
@@ -1247,16 +1247,18 @@ fn load_bank_forks(
             accounts_update_notifier,
             &Arc::default(),
         );
-    let block_verification_method = value_t_or_exit!(
+    let block_verification_method = value_t!(
         arg_matches,
         "block_verification_method",
         BlockVerificationMethod
-    );
-    let block_production_method = value_t_or_exit!(
+    )
+    .unwrap_or_default();
+    let block_production_method = value_t!(
         arg_matches,
         "block_production_method",
         BlockProductionMethod
-    );
+    )
+    .unwrap_or_default();
     info!(
         "Using: block-verification-method: {}, block-production-method: {}",
         block_verification_method, block_production_method
diff --git a/validator/src/main.rs b/validator/src/main.rs
index 55db3c16037ca5..69906a6cda6561 100644
--- a/validator/src/main.rs
+++ b/validator/src/main.rs
@@ -1524,16 +1524,18 @@ pub fn main() {
     }
 
     configure_banking_trace_dir_byte_limit(&mut validator_config, &matches);
-    validator_config.block_verification_method = value_t_or_exit!(
+    validator_config.block_verification_method = value_t!(
         matches,
         "block_verification_method",
         BlockVerificationMethod
-    );
-    validator_config.block_production_method = value_t_or_exit!(
+    )
+    .unwrap_or_default();
+    validator_config.block_production_method = value_t!(
         matches, // comment to align formatting...
         "block_production_method",
         BlockProductionMethod
-    );
+    )
+    .unwrap_or_default();
 
     validator_config.ledger_column_options = LedgerColumnOptions {
         compression_type: match matches.value_of("rocksdb_ledger_compression") {